Answer this question the wrong way and your customers will not be too happy with you. They want to feel like their belongings are absolutely safe at our facility. They don’t want to have to fear that they may get a call first thing in the morning that their storage unit was broken into last night and their stuff is gone. [More]

It’s a literally growing threat for businesses and residences in the Northeast and other snow-ridden areas of the United States. What to do with all that snow growing higher on roof tops as storms hit again and again, building up layers of snow and ice above our heads? For self storage businesses it is of particular concern because of the flat roofs the facilities feature. [More]

The heart of the self storage industry is something that is never under question. Every year facilities around the nation get involved in a number of different charity events from toy drives to supporting local youth sports teams to donating storage space to shelters. At the Inside Self Storage World Expo one charity will look to establish an even closer link to the self storage industry then it already has. [More]

Imagine potential customers being able to go directly to your website or online bill-pay site or even be able to dial up your self storage facility or receive a text message all with one single step using their smartphones. It’s a new innovation that is picking up momentum in the self storage industry, particularly due to PhoneSmart, a marketing company for rental property owners that recently created an entire website showcasing this new technology carrying the message, “You have a self storage kiosk in your pocket.” [More]

There is one thing that people hate to spend money on, but would not ever do without—insurance. We get insurance for our health, our teeth, and our cars. We get insurance on packages we send through the mail of significant value. Depending on the type of work your in there are several other types of insurance that people buy all the time, often spending a lot of money too. [More]

A common saying in business and in life goes something like this,” If you want to succeed, you have to be willing to go the extra mile.” That could not be truer for an industry than it is for the self storage industry. On the surface it may appear that succeeding in the self storage industry would be a pretty simple thing to do. All you need is a building with a bunch of storage units of various sizes built in to right? A facility that had just that would be one that had just the bare necessities and while it could make money; it will probably not be too profitable. [More]

Colorado could join states like California and Nevada when it comes to more relaxed lien laws for self storage auctions. Coming up on Jan. 31, the first senate hearing on a Colorado bill to modernize the state’s self storage lien law will be held. The Colorado Self Storage Association (CoSSA) along with financial backing from the national Self Storage Association (SSA), introduced the bill in mid January and representatives from each association will testify at the hearing. [More]

With the influx of attendees to self storage auctions, some facility operators are beginning to wonder how they can capitalize on the frenzied rush they are now witnessing at these sales. The masses of storage hunters looking for the golden items hidden in storage units on the auction block have fed off popular TV shows like Spike TV’s Auction Hunters and A&E’s Storage Wars. It has brought novice bidders out of the woodwork standing alongside seasoned auction attendees with cold cash in hand and flashlights at the ready to peek inside a unit once the door is lifted. [More]

For many people deciding that they could use a self storage unit is not a difficult decision to make. The one that is tough though is how big of a unit do you need. You don’t want to get one that is too small. Nothing is more frustrating than packing of a unit than realizing that it is not big enough and having to start all over again. At the same time you don’t want to spend money on space you don’t need. [More]

When a self storage client walks through the door do you know them by name and say hi with a smile? Having passion for your job and making an effort to connect with customers is just one area self storage managers should consider when trying to improve their business, according to experts. [More]